Automobile-bumper



L. BAUMGARTL.

AUTOMOBILE BUMPER. APPLiCATloN FILED APR.16.1921.

Patented July 5, 1921.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEROY BAUMGARTL, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 RAMSPRING- BUMPER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

AUTOMOBILE-BUMPER.

Application filed April 16,

T 0 aZZ whom t may concern Be it known that I, L'nnor BAUMGARTL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile-Bumpers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in bumpers for motor vehicles, and especially to a novel construction for the impact bar or member of the bumper.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a practical method for making impact members and particularly members of that type having an increased impact area, such as would be obtained, for instance, by two vertically spaced bars or transverse members, an impact member embodying the features of the invention differs from those heretofore known in that the entire member is formed from a single piece of sheet metal by a punching and stamping process, the product being a relatively non-yieldable member made up of' horizontally spaced channel-shaped portions connected together at their ends and at points between by vertical or transversely curved portions, likewise channel-shaped.

A preferred construction is disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of the impact member with a portion broken away to show the construction more clearly,

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation. of the impact bar, and

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section, taken on line 3, 3 of Fig. 2.

As already suggested, the complete impact member is a unitary or integral structure, made from a blank of sheet metal, such as steel, there being previously designed and constructed suitable dies, such as cutting and punching dies, for cutting the blank in its initial shape, and forming dies, between which the blank is shaped into its final form. However, the process of manufacture is a matter of machine-shop practice and-it may be assumed that the accepted practice will be followed.

Disregarding then the method, and confining the description to the product, the impact member consists of several definite portions, as followstwo parallel and vertically spaced portions A, A, extending the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 5, 1921,.

1921. Serial No. 461,875.

full length of the member and curved rearwardly throughout their end portions. rlhe portionsA, are joined together at their extremities by rounded end portions B, B, and at one or more points intermediate their ends by vertically disposed or transverse portions C, C. The longitudinal portions il, A are channel shape in section, as shown in Fig. 3, that is, consisting of a vertical web 7 and two transverse marginal flanges a2 and a3. The outer or extreme flanges a?.

c2 are somewhat greater in width than the inner flanges a3, c3 although tapering to a width equal to that of the inner flanges. as they approach the ends of the impact member, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. In realiqty, the flanges a2, a2 form parts of acontmuous flange. that extends entirely around the outer periphery of the impact member, including the rounded end portions B, B.

Included between the horizontal portions A, A and the transverse .end and intermediate portions B and C, respectively, are elongated openings or spaces D, these openings being preferably three in number and substantially equal in length. These openings are surrounded by flanges, namely, the flanges a3 theretofore described, and semicircular flanges b, b and c, c, which extend around the ends of the semi-circular ends of the openings D, and are in reality integral continuations of the flanges a3. Thus it will be seen that the edges of the openings D `are surrounded by continuous anges in the same manner that the outer periphery of the impact member is surrounded by the continuous flange a2.

As a preferable means of supporting the impact member upon the frame members of a motor vehicle a pair of links E, E are attached to the impact member at suitable points disposed inwardly from the ends thereof, these arms having a bifurcatsd end or forked arms e, e, which are insertible bei tween the horizontal portions A, A and are pivotally connected thereto by means c bolts F extending through the adjacent @ranges a2, a2 and the ends of the arms e, c. To provide for the lateral adjustment of the links a series of bolt holes' G are provided along thel portions of the flanges L2 adjacent the points where the links F, F would properly be attached.

It is believed to be desirable in a bumper to provide an impact member which combines the following features, namely, maXimum strength to resist the impacts delivered against it, maximum impact receiving area and minimum Weight of material, these features being nicely balanced Without sacrificing attractiveness in appearance or giving the impression of bulkiness and mass. In a construction such as herein disclosed, this combination of ideas is believed to be incorporated, the use of a sheet metal blank, so treated as to reproduce a channel beam construction throughout, is manifestly productive of the advantages already announced.

Having described a preferred embodiment of the invention, I claiml. A bumper impact member, consisting of vertically spaced portions extending throughout the length thereof, and transverse connecting portions, all stamped from sheet metal and forming a unitary structure 2. A bumper impact membei consisting of vertically spaced longitudinal portions and transverse connecting portions, all stamped from a blank of sheet metal and formed i with flanges along the edges of the several a blank of sheet metal and consisting of integral longitudinal portions spaced apart vertically, and end portions connecting said longitudinal portions and a continuous reinforcing flange extending throughout the periphery of the member.

5. A bumper impact member formed from a blank of sheet metal and consisting of longitudinal channel-shaped portions spaced apart vertically, and transverse end and intermediate portions of channel sections, all of said portions merging into an integral unitary structure substantially as described.

6. A bumper impact member of sheet metal stamped and pressed to form parallel longitudinal portions, and transverse end and intermediate portions, all having a channel-shaped section by the formation of marginal flanges which merge at the junctions of the several portions into continuous reinforcing members surrounding the periphery and internal spaces of the impact member.

7 A bumper impact member stamped from sheet metal to form vertically spaced longitudinal portions of channel section and transverse end and intermediate portions, all of said portions having marginal flanges merging into continuous peripheral flanges, the outer longitudinal flanges of said longitudinal portions being of increased Width tapering to a uniform flange Width toward -the ends of the impact member.

yIn witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name' this 13th day of April, A. D. 1921.

LEROY BAUMGARTL. 

